Handle



April 8, 1941.

A. PALMER HANDLE Filed June 11, 1937 INVEN'iOR, /7//0r7 Pa/mer" M W ATTORNEY.

atenteol Apr. 8, 1 941 STATES HANDLE Allan Palmer, San Francisco, walii. Application June 11,, 1937, Serial No. ll'i,d83

(Cl. 2t2-ld5) 8 Claims.

a handle which can be held in a locked posi-' tion.

it turther object of my to improve handles.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawing, in whichthe. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehicle showing the handle of my invention installed therein.

than. it is similar tied form of handle.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3t oi his. 1. a

l' ig. t is an elevation from within the door of the handle, portions being in cross-section. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the structure of Fit. d.

In its preferred form, the handle of my invention is for use with a member to be moved, such as a door, incorporating a plate having an invention is in general aperture through which access is had to a pocket, the pocket being normally closed by a panel movable by the hand of the a smooth exterior surface and streamlining are important from many aspects. It is therefore described herein in connection with an automobile door. In this environment there is provided an automobile body 8 on which a door 1 is mounted for lunged movement. In its closed position, the leading edge III or the door is in the body 6.

The bolt 8 can be manually actuated from withl to Fig. 1 but shows a modi-- enable to operate the bolt of the apertime it may be rectangular, as shown in Fig. 1, or may he semi-clrcular as is the contour oi. the aperture to in his :2.

The finger panel it is, adjacent its upper edge ll, preferably provided with an indentation 28, comfortably to accommodate the forefinger or ioreringers 29 of the operator when they are placed thereupon for swinging the panel 2|. To provide for the desired pivotal movement of the panel 2|, it is preferably provided with a relatively heavy hub 3I- encompassing and fastened path of movement of the When, however, the bolt the path of the panel 2| by the dotted lines 43 in Fig. 3. In its lowermost position the lug 42 abuts against a rubber cushion 44 to provide a firm hand grip to open the door I. Since, preferably, the panel 2! fits very closely within the housing 34 in order to preclude the entry of foreign material and to prevent catching or pinching of the operators fingers, there is an outlet aperture 46 provided in the lower part of the casing to permit the escape of air or water therefrom. When the panel 2! is in its lowermost position, a smooth hand grip is provided which is very firm and affords a good means of controlling the movement of the door I with respect to the body 6.

In order to utilize the movement of the panel 2| to operate the latch 8, 1 preferably extend the shaft 32 to carry a scroll cam 48, and interpose a spiral spring 49 between the cam and the hub 33, so that normally the panel 2! is lightly urged into uppermost or closed position yet is freely movable by the operator toward a downward and open position against the urgency of the spring 49. During the first 90 of movement of the panel 2!, or approximately through that range of movement, the cam 48 is ineffective and thereby provides a. lost-motion connection, but in the neighborhood of 90 of movement the cam begins to be effective upon a follower 5! included with one arm 52 of .a bell crank 53 mounted to pivot about a pin 54. The other arm 56 of the bell crank 53 terminates in a pierced pad 5'! straddling a rod 58 extending from the latch bolt 8 and carrying a collar 59 thereupon.

During the latter part of the operation of the panel 2|, therefore, the cam 48 is effective to depress the follower 5i, rotating the bell crank 53 anticlockwise, as seen in Fig. 4, and retracting the latch bolt 8 against the urgency of the spring H. I expressly make the panel 2! ineffective during the first part of its movement, since such initial movement is effected by pressure of the operators fingers directly extended in which position the fingers cannot comfortably exert a great deal of force, but during the latter part of the movement of the panel 2i there is a contracting or grasping movement of the operators fingers against the palm of the hand, in effect squeezing the panel 2i against or toward the panel 22. This operation of the operators hand is very effective and is easily quite powerful; hence the operation of the latch bolt 8 is preferably entirely effected during this part of the movement of the panel 2i. When the operator releases his grip upon the approached panels 2! and 22, the panel 2! follows the retraction of his fingers from the housing 34 under the urgency of the spring 49 as well as partially through the urgency of the spring l l. The return movement of the panel continues until the panel is in closed position, wherein it is stopped by the cam 48 abutting the panel 22. Since there are no stop ledges or overhanging projections in the path of the panel 2 l there is no likelihood of pinching the operators fingers or catching on inserted material. Since the interior of the casing or housing 34 is entirely smooth and devoid of projections, and since the panel 2i itself is entirely smooth and is a close fit with the casing 34, there is no possibility 01' any pinching or catching of the operators fingers cr apparel.

I claim:

l. A handle and latch structure comprising a support, a panel mounted on said support for movement into a position facilitating concurrent grasping of said panel and support, a latching mechanism on said support, and a lost-motion connection between said panel and said latching mechanism.

2. A handle and latch structure comprising a support, a housing on said support capable of receiving a users fingers, a panel movably mounted within said housing and in substantial contact with the walls thereof throughout its range of movement, a latching mechanism on said support outside said housing, and a lost-motion connection between said panel and said latching mechanism.

3. A handle and latch structure comprising a support, a semi-circular cylindrical housing on said support, a panel coaxially mounted on said housing for rotary movement therethrough, means for locking said panel in one position. a latching mechanism, and means for connecting said panel to operate said latching mechanism.

4. A handle and latch structure comprising a support including a door panel having an aperture therein, a panel fitting said aperture, means on said support mounting said panel for movement out of said aperture and into juxtaposition with said door panel adjacent said aperture, a latching mechanism on said support, and means for connecting said panel to operate said latching mechanism. a

5. A handle and latch structure comprising a support including a plate having an aperture therein capable of receiving a users fingers, a panel movable by the users fingers from a position closing said aperture into a position overlying said plate adjacent said aperture, a latching mechanism on said support, and means for actuating said latching mechanism in response to movement of said panel.

6. A handle and latch structure comprising a support including a plate having an aperture therein capable of receiving a users fingers, a panel mounted on said support for movement toward said plate by a users fingers extending through said aperture, said plate and said panel when adjacent being adapted to be gripped in the users hand, and means for actuating said latching mechanism in response said panel.

'7. A handle and latch structure comprising a support including a plate, a panel adapted to form substantially a flush continuation of said plate, means for mounting said plate and said panel for relative approaching movement when grasped between the fingers and palm of a users hand, a latching mechanism on said support, and means for actuating said latching mechanism in response to a part only of the movement of said panel.

8. A handle and latch structure comprising a support having an exposed surface, a panel pivotally mounted on said support for movement from a position substantially fiush with said surface into a position for coincidental grasping of said panel and support between the fingers and palm of a users hand, a latching mechanism on said support, and; means for making the final part only of the pivotal movement of said panel effective upon said latching mechanism.

ALLAN PALMER.

to movement of 

